A3 + PLUS >> Man faces sex abuse allegations, Story below SPORTS DELINQUENT TAX ROLLS Columbia anglers going to nationals INSIDE THIS EDITION See Page 1B TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2018 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Woman Dale Williams era pleads underway at LSHA guilty in child Former longtime county manager sex case takes reins at hospital authority Her mother wants a 3A third party charged. By COREY ARWOOD [email protected] READY The mother of a Lake City woman who pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse charges pleaded with prosecutors at her FOR daughter’s sentencing to pursue the man she said blackmailed an autistic woman into sexually exploiting her autistic son. THE On Monday, Crystal Jean Laughlin, 28, plead- ed guilty to a lesser RAIN count of a child sexual abuse charge. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison for Laughlin attempted lewd and las- civious molestation of a child under 12 and a second count of sexual performance by a child stemming from a 2017 arrest and investigation. She will also be labeled a sexual preda- tor and placed on sex offender probation for 15 years. Both counts carry maximum 15-year sentences. The pink hair Laughlin appeared with in her initial booking photos had nearly grown out after 489 days behind bars. After she was escorted into the court- room she sat slumped in her chair and picked at her hands and legs, gazing Photos by CARL MCKINNEY/Lake City Reporter downward and occasionally around the courtroom. She glanced at her mother momentar- ily after she entered, but she returned her attention to her handcuffed wrist They’ll be prepared for the next Debby and hands. Assistant State Attorney General John Officials hope to stave off future floods in the GUILTY continued on 6A Callahan Avenue area. By CARL MCKINNEY [email protected] Man faces Crews are moving dirt on sex abuse Southwest Callahan Avenue to widen and resurface the road, add sidewalks and allegations install drainage improve- ments to mitigate flooding. By CARL MCKINNEY Over the past month, the [email protected] workers and heavy machin- ery on Callahan Avenue After his sister confronted him about have generated significant a young child’s accusation of sexual interest from residents of abuse, a Gainesville man threatened to the neighborhood off State kill himself, then claimed the situation Road 247. was a misunderstanding With a price tag of $1.44 and eventually said he million, the project, which suffered from sex addic- includes a retention pond, TOP: Crews install drain- tion and couldn’t con- is expected to be complet- age components on trol himself, according ed during the fourth quar- Callahan Avenue on to a Columbia County ter, County Engineer Chad Monday. The area was hit Sheriff’s Office report. Williams wrote in an email. hard by Tropical Storm Piper Joseph Leroy Piper, The county started Debby in 2012. ABOVE: A 24, was arrested planning a resurfacing retention pond will pre- Saturday afternoon on a charge of lewd project in 2014, but the vent a recurrence of the and lascivious molestation of a child Florida Department of disastrous flooding from under 12. Transportation reached out Debby, it is hoped. LEFT: Deputies responded to a reported dis- about additional improve- Neatly stacked drainage turbance on Southwest Sisters Welcome ments, Williams wrote. pipes await installation. Road around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. DRAINAGE continued on 6A PIPER continued on 3A Vol. 143, No. 292 CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER Obituaries . 3A (386) 752-1293 Opinion . 4A SUBSCRIBE TO Puzzles . 2B Lunch is on LCMS THE REPORTER: 85 67 Celebrating in Fort White, 2A. Voice: 755-5445 Advice & Comics . 3B Fax: 752-9400 Chance of storms, 2A 2A TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2018 DAILY BRIEFING LAKE CITY REPORTER Belmont hosts local leaders QUICK HITS Scripture of the Day “O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.” — Psalm 140:7 (KJV) Thought for Today Half a truth is often a great lie. — Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790, U.S. statesman, writer, inventor Winning Lottery Numbers Pick 3: (Sunday p.m.) 4-7-0 Pick 4: (Sunday p.m.) 6-3-0-9 Fantasy 5: (Sunday) 3-21-29-31-36 See an error? The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news items. If you have a concern, question or suggestion, please call the editor. Corrections and clarications will run in this space. Thanks for reading. COURTESY PHOTOS Local elected officials visited Belmont for its Local Leaders program to share with 7th and 8th graders about their jobs as an enrichment of the Civics curriculum. Officials who visited were Liz Horne, supervisor of elec- Submissions tions, and her assistant, Tomi Brown; Stephanie Finnell, school board member; Circuit Judge Leandra Johnson The Lake City Reporter accepts photographs and caption (pictured at center left); and Elizabeth Porter, state representative (center right). Students learned about the information to run at the discretion of the editor. If you would voting process, the judicial system, politics, recent issues and other topics. like to see your organization in the newspaper, send the picture and information to Associate Editor Justin Caudell at [email protected]. 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RIGHT: Columbia NEWS 12 Weeks................... $26.32 County Supervisor of Elections Liz Horne, right, Editor Robert Bridges .....754-0428 24 Weeks...................$48.79 ([email protected]) 52 Weeks...................$83.46 and Assistant Supervisor Tomi Brown speak to the Rates include 7% sales tax. students about the U.S. voting system. ADVERTISING .........752-1293 ([email protected]) Mail rates 12 Weeks................... $41.40 CLASSIFIED 24 Weeks...................$82.80 To place a classified ad......755-5440 52 Weeks..................$179.40 THE WEATHER 15 TUE 16WED 17THU 18FRI 19 SAT Slight Chance Chance Chance Chance chance of of of of of storms storms storms storms storms HI 85HI LO LO 67 HI 83 HI LO LO 67 HI 85HI LO LO 67 HI HI83 LO LO 65 HI 83HI LO LO 65 REGIONAL FORECAST MAP for Tuesday, May 15 Tuesday's highs/Tuesday night's low Valdosta City Wednesday Thursday 83/67 Jacksonville 83/70 Cape Canaveral Tallahassee Lake City 85/72/ts 85/72/ts 83/70 85/67 Daytona Beach 85/71/ts 83/70/ts Gainesville Daytona Beach Fort Myers 87/72/ts 85/71/ts Pensacola 85/67 83/70 Ft. Lauderdale 85/75/ts 82/75/ts 83/70 Panama City 79/72 Ocala Gainesville 86/68/ts 84/68/ts 85/68 Jacksonville 87/69/ts 85/69/ts Orlando Cape Canaveral Key West 84/77/ts 84/77/ts 85/70 83/72 Lake City 86/68/ts 84/68/ts Tampa Miami 85/75/ts 83/74/ts Naples 89/73/ts 86/72/ts 85/70 West Palm Beach 81/74 Ocala 87/69/ts 84/68/ts Orlando 87/71/ts 87/71/ts Ft. Lauderdale Panama City 81/71/ts 81/71/ts Ft. Myers 83/76 Pensacola 85/72 83/70/ts 86/71/ts Naples Tallahassee 85/69/ts 84/69/ts 85/74 Miami Tampa 84°/72/ts 84°/72/ts 83/74 Valdosta 85/68/ts 84/68/ts COURTESY Key West 83/76 W. Palm Beach 84/73/ts 83/73/ts Lunch is on LCMS " Test Celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week, Lake City Medical Center provided lunch LAKE CITY ALMANAC UV INDEX FYI An exclusive to everyone at Fort White Elementary and brought extra treats for the teachers. TEMPERATURES SUN First grade teacher Corieann Menolasino won the drawing for gift cards to provide High Monday 77 Sunrise today 6:36 a.m. service the Menolasinos with an evening out for dinner and a movie. Pictured from left Low Monday 71 Sunset today 8:17 p.m. 9 brought to are Danny Thorn, RN, Clinical Manager of ER at LCMC; Tim Atkinson, Director of ER; Normal high 87 Sunrise tom. 6:36 a.m. VeryEXTREME High: our readers Normal low Sunset tom. 10 minutes to burn Menolasino holding her prize; and FWES Principal Tom Lashley.